Vintage Photo Friday

September 27, 1930, The Sepulveda Tunnel,
connecting West LA to the San Fernando Valley
Los Angeles Times Photo Archives

Found this FANTASTIC photo on the L.A. Times Photography Site. Here's the direct link to this photo.
The story, posted by Scott Harrison:

Sept. 27, 1930: Following opening ceremonies, a procession of cars, horses and wagons proceeds south through the new Sepulveda Boulevard tunnel. After eight years of construction, the new tunnel connects the San Fernando Valley with West Los Angeles.

In an article the next day, the Los Angeles Times reported:

Leading a three-mile procession of Indians, Mexicans, Spaniards and other pioneers of the Southwest, who came by thousands in ox carts, covered wagons and on gaily caparisoned horses, Mayor [John] Porter yesterday turned a golden key and opened wide the gates of Sepulveda Boulevard tunnel, the new thoroughfare through the Santa Monica Mountains which links San Fernando Valley with the beaches and West Los Angeles. The eight-year project built eight miles of new highway at a cost of $550,000, the article noted.

This photo and story brings to mind our recent re-construction of the ramps and bridges on the San Diego/405 Freeway that parallels Sepulveda Boulevard. All of the freeway construction is magnifying our traffic problems on the west side of Los Angeles. Imagine what traffic would be like if we did NOT have the freeway! When I was a teensy, little girl, I remember traveling over Sepulveda with my family to the San Fernando Valley. It was the ONLY route to the Valley except over the canyon roads, further inland. We had to pack a lunch to survive a visit to relatives in Granada Hills! Have a wonderful weekend and stay away from the freeway!